Firearm attachment



Patentecl Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREARM ATTACHMENT`Charles F. TraHord, Binghamton, N. Y. Application November 1, 1943,Serial No. 508,555

6 Claims. j, (Cl. 88-32) This invention relates generally to the classof rearms and is directed particularly to improvements in devices forfacilitating the aiming of the same. i i i In the use of firearms inwarfare it is of great importance that the soldier expose himself for asshort a time as possible during the sighting and ring of his weapon andthe present invention has Afor its principal object to provide acombined periscope and telescope sight adapted to be mountedV upon theside of a rifle so thateither of the two instruments can be brought intoworking position, the periscope to be used by the soldier in locatingthe enemy, while keeping his own body concealed, and the telescope thenused in aiming lat the enemy after his position has been spotted."

Another` object of the invention is to provide a combination telescopeand periscope unit to be secured to the side of a rifle and mounted sothat the two instruments may be rotated on an axis extendingtransversely of the rifle so as to bring the periscope into workingposition or dispose the telescope lengthwise of the rie and in workingpositionfor use or the instruments may be turned as a unit to a positionwhere they both extend lo'ngitudinallyof the riie in such a positionthat the rifle maybe shoulderedwithoutdiscomfort to the soldier.

The invention willbe best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, with' the understanding that minor changes or alterations maybe made in the invention so long as the resultant structure does notdepart from the structure defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device embodying the presentinvention showing the same applied to a rile.l

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFigure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially in the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral I generallydesignates a rifle, upon the side of which the device embodying thepresent invention is mounted, in advance of the trigger guard II.

The structure embodying the present invention comprises a base plate I2which is secured to the side of the rifle in a suitable manner as, forexample, by the use of the ears I3 which are formed integrally with theplate and through which suitable openings are formed for the extensionof securing screws I4 into suitably tapped bores in the side of therifle.

The plate I2 has a central threaded opening I5 and three smalleropenings I6 disposed adjacent the periphery of the plate and on an arcconcentric therewith, two of the openings I6 being arranged in a lineextending lengthwise of the rifle and the third being disposed mid-waybetween the rst two below the opening I5.

The numeral II designates the top or rotatable plate. This latter plateis provided with a central opening I8 and is of substantially the samediameter as the plate I2 over which it positions. A pivot screw I9passes through the opening I8 and is threaded in the opening I5 of thebottom plate, the head overlying the outer face of the rotatable plateIl to maintain it in position but permitting it free rotation.

Extending radially across the top plate Il is a strap spring 20 which issecured permanently at ZI to the rotatable plate I'I adjacent theperiphery thereof and extends across the screw to and beyond the edge ofthe plate remote from the securing means 2| forming the extended end 22which is designed to be used asa nger piece or lipto facilitate flexingthe spring outwardly away from the plate ,I'I. Intermediate its ends thespring 2l] is off-set as indicatedV at 23 so as to be free fromcontactwith the pivot screw I9 across which it extends.

The rotatable plate I'I has an aperture 24 therethrough beneath the freeend of the spring 20 and centered the same distance from the radialcenter of the' plate as the openings IB.

Adapted for extension through the opening 24 and for engagement in oneof the openings I6 of the fixed bottom plate, is a holding stud 25 whichis carried by the spring 2D.

Secured in spaced parallel relation to the outer face of the rotatableplate II, with the spring 20 therebetween and parallel therewith, arethe two instruments 26 and 21 which are respectively a telescope and aperiscope. The telescope is secured substantially mid-way between itsends to the rotary plate while the periscope is secured to this plate atone side of its transverse center and the lateral extension 28 at theend of the periscope remote from the rotatable plate, is disposed beyondthe eye piece end 29 of the telescope and `directed across the telescopewhile the oppositely directed lateral extension 3i! of the periscope isinwardly of the sighting end of the telescope and is directed away fromthe telescope as shown.

In the use of the present device the retaining spring 20 is flexedoutwardly to disengage the stud or keeper pin 25, if the instruments aredisposed lengthwise of the rifle, so that the plate and the instrumentcarried thereby may be rotated in the correct direction to move thesecuring stud 25 down to the lower hole I6. 'I'his will bring theperiscope upright in front of the telescope with the lateral extension30 of the periscope directed forwardly. The user of the gun can thenlook over the surrounding territory by peering into the lower end of theperiscope, while keeping his body under cover.

uppermost position parallel with the rifle barrel. The user of the riflecan then quickly rise `from his position and sight the rie through thetele-v scope at the quarry previously located. By this means only a. fewseconds is required to, aim and nre the rifle, the user thereby avoidingexposing himself to enemy re for any length of time as would benecessary for him to dol itif he did nothave the periscope as an aid inlocating` the quarry before he exposes himself to the enemys View.

I claim:

l The combination with a shoulder rifle of a telescope includingy astraighttube having coaxial lenses in its ends and a periscope includinga straight tube terminating at its ends in oppositely directed right,angularportiona supported as a unit in parallel relation upon the sideofthe rifleY for rotation together on an axis extending transversely ofthe ril-le for selective disposition in position for sighting in thedirection in which the riie is aimed.

2. The combination with a shoulder rie, of a telescope including astraighttube having coaX- ial lenses in its ends and a periscopeincluding a straight tube terminating at its ends inv oppositelydirected right angular portions, the telescope and periscope beingconnectedtogether in parallel relation, andsmeans .for mounting the unitupon the rifle and for moving the unit upon the mounting for theselective disposition of the telescope and'pe'riscope in workingposition with respect to the barrel or the rifle. Y Y

f3. The combination with a shoulder rifle, of a plate adapted to besecured to one side of the rifle, a second plate pivotally attached tothe first After the quarryl has been located the spring latch is,released and l the plate turned so as to bring the telescope to platefor rotation on an axis extending transversely of the barrel of therifle, a telescope including a straight tube having coaxial lenses inits ends and a periscope including a tube terminating at its ends inoppositely directed right angular portions, secured in fixed parallelrela` tion to the second plate to be rotated thereby for bringing thetelescope into parallel relation with the rifle barrel and for bringingthe periscope into a vertical position perpendicular vto the barrel, anda shiftable latch means connecting the plates together for securing thesecond plate in a selected position with respect to the rst plate.

4. A combination structure as set forth in claim 3, in which saidlatching means comprises a resilientr spring member secured to the outerface ofn the second plate and having a portion extended across theperiphery of the plate and a pin. carried by the spring member forextension through' an aperture in the second plate and for selective,engagement underlying .apertures in the rst plate.

5, A unit of the character stated, comprisinga plate body, means forsecuring the body toy a support, a second plate overlying the firstplate, means coupling the second `plate with thev first plate, forrotation of the secondplate relative to thelst plate, a telescopeincluding a straight tube, having c oaxial lenses in its ends and a.periscope including agstraight tube terminatingat its two ends in right,angleoppositely directed portions secured in Vparallel relation to` andacross theface of the second plate, an end portion of the periscopebeing disposed beyond the adjacentend of the telescopeanddirectedtowardthe axial center of the telescope whereby vthe Viewthrough the said end portion of the periscope will not be interrupted bythe adjacent telescope, and a latching connection between the plates forsecure() ing thesecond plate ina selected working position when rotatedwith respect to the first plate. 6. A unit as set forth in claim 5, inwhich said latching connection comprises avleaf kspring disposed acrossthe outer face OrfY the second plate 45 and securedu thereto at one endand having its other end extended acrossthg periphery of the Second.Plate.. andafpin carried .bythe leaf spring adjacentv to` said other endand adjacentY the periphery of the second plate for; extension throughan openingin the second plateand engagement in a keeper opening intheunderlying rst plate.

CHARLES F' .QR-D

